ALEX sits at a table as JAIME enters. ALEX waves down JAIME, who is clearly looking for someone. ALEX has a bag, a stack of papers and a pen on the table.

JAIME: Hi, Alex, good to see you.

ALEX: Thanks. I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to this meeting today. It would have been totally understandable for you to refuse.

JAIME: Well, I didn’t.

ALEX: I can see that.

JAIME: Awesome, so should we order or what?

ALEX: I think it would be best if we took care of business first. (pats the papers on the table)

JAIME: Business? What do you mean business?

ALEX: I thought I made this perfectly clear in my phone call, which was merely a courtesy follow-up to my very specific text message.

JAIME: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was business. I thought we were both here as friends, friends of Sam.

ALEX: Great, now you’ve made this awkward.

JAIME: Made what awkward?

ALEX: Maybe this was your plan all along…

JAIME: My plan to what?

ALEX: To derail our negotiations.

JAIME: What negotiations?

ALEX: (Throws up hands) Y’know what? I’ll just start at the beginning. (Rummages through the paper pile, tosses a stack in front of JAIME) In a minute I’ll need you to read through this, but first I’ll give you a general overview.

JAIME: What is this?

ALEX: The purpose for this agreement is clearly noted at the top.

JAIME: A friendship agreement?

ALEX: Precisely. To be a bit more specific, you agree to let me be Sam’s best friend, while you still retain all acquaintance rights, and various friendship rights at well.

JAIME: This is crazy.

ALEX: This is not crazy. It’s a great idea. A conflict reducer.

JAIME: But we can both be friends with Sam.

ALEX: Yes, but we can’t both be best friends. I mean, that’s in the second paragraph. Are you even reading the agreement?

JAIME: No. No, I’m not reading this thing. This is terrifying.

ALEX: Let me break it down for you. Long story short: you give up your right to declare Sam as your best friend, to me. If you look at page 3, paragraph 7, it lays out the reasons why.

JAIME: Why what?

ALEX: Why I’m the best friend.

JAIME: That’s right.

ALEX: To summarize, I’m clearly the superior best friend because I’m willing to pick up the tab for lunch, I’m willing to let Sam select activities, so on and so forth, you’ll read it all later.

JAIME: No, actually I won’t.

ALEX: It’s a bad idea to sign something you didn’t read.

JAIME: It’ll be okay since I’m not signing it.

ALEX: And why not?

JAIME: Because you’re missing the point.

ALEX: What do you think I am missing the point of?

JAIME: Friendship, relationships.

ALEX: I don’t see how that’s possible.

JAIME: It’s like this, Sam and I have been good friends, some might even say best friends-

ALEX: That’s debatable.

JAIME: What I’m trying to say is that we’re not friends because we buy stuff for each other or keep doing things for each other.

ALEX: So what’s your secret?

JAIME: You really want to know?

ALEX: Yes, as soon as you tell me I’ll show you where it is in our agreement you have yet to sign.

JAIME: It’s forgiveness.

ALEX: What?

JAIME: Forgiveness.

ALEX: Really?

JAIME: For sure. Being friends is a lot of work. We don’t always do the right things, but we do know that if it’s important to us to stay friends, we’ve got to forgive each other. We can’t stay mad. Jesus forgives us and helps us to forgive each other.

ALEX: (Slides the agreement back over to him, begins flipping through it, first slowly, then frantically) Forgiveness, of course. It’s right here, on page, um–

JAIME: It’s not in there, is it?

ALEX: No, no it’s not.

JAIME: And that’s okay. Listen, sometimes what matters is not how much you can give; instead it’s looking at what you’ve been given. It’s like I said, look to Jesus for how to really be a friend, and to let someone be your friend.

ALEX: So, I can’t just sign a friendship contract and get everything to work out. What I can do is look to Jesus.

JAIME: Now you’re getting it. Let’s grab some coffee and talk about that some more.